Fisker says "range varies greatly on the conditions of the road and how you drive the car"

Fisker Automotive's range-extended plug-in hybrid, the Fisker Karma, has received a lower-than-expected EPA rating that falls below the likes of the Chevrolet Volt and the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In.

Over the past few years, Fisker Automotive has claimed that its $96,000 Fisker Karma would receive 50 miles of all-electric range. But the official EPA rating has been released, and it says otherwise.

The EPA rated the Fisker Karma at 52 mpg-equivalent (mpg-e) for combined city and highway driving. This means 32 miles of all-electric range and 20 mpg when the gasoline engine takes over.

Fisker Karma

"As with all electric vehicles, range varies greatly on the conditions of the road and how you drive the car," said Fisker in a statement after the EPA ratings were released. "Overall, we are very pleased with the results of the EPA's tests."

Fisker added that the Karma's 52 mpg-e is not far off from the 54 mpg fleet average that the Obama administration expects in 2025, which is still 14 years away.

In comparison, the 2012 Chevrolet Volt has a price tag of $39,995 and an EPA rating of 93 mpg-e with a 37-mile all-electric range, and 37 mpg with the gasoline engine. The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In is priced at $32,760 with an expected 87 mpg-e.

Fisker Karma production kicked off in March 2011, and by July, it was reported that Fisker had 3,000 Karma orders and sold out until early 2012. The Karma runs off batteries, and once depleted, it uses a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to recharge the batteries and run for an extended range.